Mission: Rapture
by XxBurningAngel13xX
Summary: Sent to investigate a lonely lighthouse out in the middle of the ocean, the team discovers there are darker secrets hiding in the depths below. As they delve deeper into the City of Rapture's secrets, they'll discover new enemies, forge new alliances, and uncover the overlooked history of Rapture. One alliance in particular will be formed under unusual circumstances.
1. Chapter 1

A soft hum was the only indication something had just passed by as the waves bump lazily into each other. Night reigns over the sky while stars glow like the embers of a fire above. Such darkness was warm and calm with the wide expanse of ocean beneath it.

Abruptly, a beam of light slices through the dark cloak like a well-forged blade as it cuts a clean path into the surrounding shadows. The origin of the light is unclear but begins to come into view over the horizon.

The air seems to falter and warp. Swirling and slowly changing, the air shimmers into a new shape. A smooth-edged ship erupts into view as the shimmering fades, its design of alien origin. Inside the cockpit, a sleepy red-haired teen yawns, looking bored.

"Ugh, it's too early in the morning for this," complains the red-head between yawns.

"This is nothing. Bats and I are always staying up all night keeping Gotham safe," counters a boy with short, black hair.

"Yeah, but couldn't this mission have waited?" asks the older teen as he lifts his red goggles to rub at his sharp, green eyes drowsily.

"I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with Wally. I don't see why we have to do this mission in the middle of the night," adds a girl with her long, blonde hair in a ponytail.

"And just a few hours after another mission too," points out a teen with ginger hair and unusual green skin.

"I'm sure once we complete our objectives and finish this mission, Batman will allow us a break," reassures a darker-skinned teen with cropped, white hair.

"Hey, look!" The pilot points at a sturdy tower in the distance.

"What is it? More ocean?" Tired from lack of sleep, Wally replies with a sarcastic tone made dull by exhaustion.

"Wow, a speedster with no energy left. Call me whelmed, Wally," teases the boy with ebony hair.

Wally tries to jab his friend in the side with his elbow, but the alert and ready ninja easily avoids the attack.

"Seriously, will no one pay attention to this?" The ginger pilot gestures towards the expanse of ocean before her, uninterrupted except for the white tower in the near distance.

"Is this the lighthouse Batman mentioned?" asks the white-haired teen as he holds himself with a confident demeanor, making him obviously the team's leader.

A blinding dagger of light answers his question as it cuts a path through the darkness to the lighthouse.

"What's a lighthouse doing way out here? There's no land or boats in sight," points out Wally as he props his head up with his hand.

"That's why we're here: to investigate the unusualness of the situation," explains the dark-skinned teen.

"So we can't go to sleep because we have to check out a stupid lighthouse in the middle of the ocean?!" growls the blonde in irritation.

"Come on Artemis, Batman wouldn't send us all the way out here if he didn't feel it was important," points out the younger boy, his blue eyes carefully concealed by a mask.

Ignoring the boy wonder, the green-clothed archer crosses her legs in contempt.

"There's no good place to land, so I'll just lower the Bioship onto the water near those stairs," announces the teen Martian.

"Aw, if I'd known we were going swimming I would have brought my trunks," jokes Wally half-heartedly.

Gently, the Bioship lowers its sleek, red form into the water and floats harmlessly with the waves.

With their leader in front, the team of teens walks across the wings of the Bioship and to the stairs of the lighthouse.

"Uh, do lighthouses normally look like this?" questions Wally as he stares up at the towering structure before him.

The team pauses to examine the lighthouse up close. Throughout most of its exterior structure, the lighthouse is shrouded in shadow, but the main source of its light illuminates its peak. With a strict flat-edge design rather than a smooth curved design, the lighthouse has an intimidatingly edgy look to it. There was even a dark aura that emanates from its core, unnerving some of the teens.

"I found some doors! I think it's the entrance," calls the ginger teen as she clung loosely to the handle of a massive, gold door.

"Good work, M'gann. Now let's move," orders their pale-eyed leader.

With the assistance of a bulky teen sporting jet-black hair deemed Conner, the team enters the lighthouse with cautious stances.

"Be ready everyone. Anything can happen," warns Kaldur, the leader figure.

Unable to see more than a few feet from the doors, the team hesitantly merges into the darkness…


	2. Chapter 2

A gasp disrupts the silence.

"I think something just touched me!"

"Relax Kid, that was just me," reassures Robin.

"I can't see anything in here!" complains Artemis.

"Can anyone find a light switch?" asks Kaldur as he feels along the walls for a switch.

After his foot bumps something solid and heavy, Wally barely swallows his yelp in time.

"I guess no lights mean no one is home?" points out Wally.

"Or someone is trying to hide in the shadows…" suggested Robin.

Pausing to look around nervously, Wally tries to spot his friend in the darkness.

"Great, now I get to enjoy some jump scares in the dark…" grumbles Wally to himself.

As the teens delve deeper into the room, the door creaks closed behind them.

"Someone say that was the wind please."

"Why so jumpy, Kid?" asks Artemis, raising an eyebrow, "Afraid of the dark now?"

Before Wally can answer, Robin interrupts.

"He watched this movie about a mutant creature luring its victims into the shadows, so it can devour them alive last night."

"The whole story was completely plausible you know…" adds Wally quickly.

"Can you hold off on having your nightmares until after the mission?" asks Artemis, irritated.

At Kaldur's urging, everyone falls silent.

"Hear that? I think it's originating from over here." Feeling his way carefully through the room, Kaldur walks onto the first step of a staircase.

Abruptly, the lights flash on and blind the young heroes after they became accustomed to the darkness.

"Who flipped the switch?"

"I didn't."

"Don't look at me!"

Conner simply shakes his head.

"They must be automatic," points out Robin.

"We need to keep moving," declares Kaldur as he proceeds down the stairs.

Leading into a larger room, the stairs are quickly conquered by the team.

"What's that?" questions M'gann as she points at the massive, metallic orb floating at the center of the room.

Carefully, Robin creeps up the sphere-mindful of any traps-and peers into the dusty window.

"I can't see anyone inside," reports Robin.

Robin has to jump back, when the door swings wide open. Curious, Robin pops his head inside and explores the interior with his eyes.

"It looks like some sort of transport vessel," points out Kaldur as he brushes his hand across the sphere's surface.

"But where does it transport you to?" asks Artemis, a shade confused.

"Want to find out?" offers Robin mischievously as he now sits inside the vessel.

"And get into a rusty, old deathtrap that's likely to transport us to the corner of 'Death' and 'Demise'? I think I'll pass," retorts Artemis.

Padding the seats next to him, Robin smiles encouragingly. "There's plenty of space."

Silently, Conner climbs in and takes a seat next to the door and simply crosses his arms in content.

"What could go wrong?" Shrugging, Wally climbs in to sit beside his best friend.

"It seems to be in working condition," points out Kaldur before climbing in as well.

With everyone on the team inside the bathysphere, but her, Artemis glares in annoyance at them.

"I think I'll just wait here." And with her foot planted firmly to the ground, Artemis seems determined to carry out her words.

"Hey Kid, do you think this turns it on?" inquires Robin as he grabs ahold of the lever.

Wally shrugs and stares at the lever.

"I guess we'll find out." Robin pulls the lever and a dim light flickers on inside the vessels as the door begins to close.

Anxiously, Artemis watches the door slowly close before regretting her decisions and racing over to jump in before the door closes.

"So nice of you to join us Artemis." Kaldur shakes his head at the green archer.

Watching the water bubble around the exterior of the bathysphere, the teens steadily descend into the deep sea.

Without warning, the window shifts into a screen and begins playing a recording. After the video finishes its performance, the team discusses and debates the meaning of it.

"What is the city of Rapture? Is that where this leads?" asks M'gann, curious excitement building up in her system, "Sounds interesting!"

"Didn't we see a statue in the lighthouse identified as this Ryan guy, supposed founder of Rapture?" points out Robin, his brow furrowed in thought.

"A city resting at the bottom of the sea….reminds me of Atlantis," murmurs Kaldur, a distant look in his pale eyes.

"How come no one has ever heard if this underwater city? Isn't it a little odd there's nor record of it?" points out Artemis.

"Maybe it's because something happened that no one wanted recorded," suggests Robin, "What do you think Kid?"

Falling silent, Robin notices his friend is fast asleep in the next seat.

"of all the times to take a nap…"

Conversation is cut short by the rough, trembling motion of the bathysphere as it slows to a halt to rest on the lowest floor. Shaking slightly as it moves, the sphere begins following a track through the deep sea and towards a city tower.

The team crowds around the window to study the landscape before them.

"It kind of looks like someone stuck neon lights all over Gotham and sank it in the ocean," wonders Robin out loud.

"Definitely of a different design than Atlantis, but appears to be a functional underwater city nonetheless," points out Kaldur.

"Are we there yet?" asks Wally drowsily as he yawns.

"Just about," answers Robin as he crowds around the window.

Upon entering the tunnel, the bathysphere becomes dim and sight is limited. Soon, the transportation vessel comes to a halt.

"Can anyone see anything?"

"No, it's too dark."

"It's kind of calming…"

"Should I worry about your obsession with the shadows, Robs?"

Suddenly, a flash of light catches the teens' attention.

"I think I see something!" gasps M'gann as she squints through the darkness.


End file.
